Burn Bans Lifted Across Central Texas

As rain gradually rehydrates Central Texas, counties are tentatively lifting their burn bans. Williamson County commissioners decided today to lift a ban for one week.

Travis County Commissioners voted two weeks ago to cancel a ban that had been in effect for virtually a year. Today, they agreed to keep the ban lifted.

Across Central Texas, burn bans have been abolished in Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal, Blanco, and Burnet Counties. Even Bastrop, a county ravaged by wildfire in September, voted to lift its burn ban last week.

The Texas Forest Service says burn bans are in effect in fewer than 136 of the state’s 254 counties.

But Texas still has a long way to go before it recovers from the worst one-year drought in the state’s history. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map says that 83 percent of Texas is still experiencing a severe dry spell, although the percentage of the state under the most intense drought category has dropped to about half. A new map is due out Thursday.

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It was only twelve weeks ago that dangerously dry conditions fueled a horrific wildfire in Bastrop County. The flames scorched more than 34,000 acres and destroyed 1,600 homes. Two people were found dead. This morning, it is apparently safe to burn again in Bastrop. The Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management posted on its Facebook page that county commissioners have voted to lift the burn ban. But emergency officials added a word of caution.

No smoking, grilling or any kind of open flames are allowed at city parks in Austin right now, but the city cant really enforce that ban. Thats because parks police can only ask people to stop those actions. A resolution on tomorrows city council agenda could change that. It would direct the city manager to create an ordinance that would make it illegal to have an open flame in a park when a burn ban is in effect. Violations would be a Class C misdemeanor, with a fine likely around a couple hundred bucks.

The Texas Forest Service maintains a map of which counties in the state have outdoor burn bans, and notes them in red. As of this morning, the map makes Texas look like its got a bad sunburn. The map shows 248 counties that have enacted burn bans. (Although, a call to Brooks County, found it did have a burn ban in effect. The map does not reflect that).Only Zapata , Wilacy , Galveston , Chambers , Jefferson , Orange and part of Jack county do not have burn bans in place. Juan Meza, the fire...